Tamper for cigarette machine feeders



NW. 13, 194-5. o so 2,388,772

TAMPER FOR CIGARETTE MACHINE FEEDERS Filed Nov. 9', 1942 s Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR,

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THOMPSON TAMPER FOR CIGARETTE MACHINE FEEDERS Filed Nov. '9, 1942 s ShetS-Sheet 2 W NQ WH IN V EN TOR.

ATTD RN EYS Nov. 13, 1945. R. THOMPSON 23,772

TAMPER FOR CIGARETTE MACHINE FEEDERS Filed NOV. 9, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 ATILCI R N EYS i chines, and has among its objects and Patented Nov. 13, 1945 UNHTE FFHQE I TAMPER FOR CIGARETTE FEEDERS MACHINE Ross Thompson, Durham, N. 0., assignor of onethird to H. D. Armstrong Application November 9, 1942, Serial No. 465,043 4 Claims. (Cl. 131-109) My invention relates to cigarette making maadvantagesthe provision of an improved tobacco regulator designed to operate in conjunction with the drums of the feeder.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is an end view taken on line i-i of Figure 3 with'the drums removed,

Figure 2 is a top view taken on line 2-2 of Figure 3 with the drums removed.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary detail view of regulating weight operating means, and

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a portion of a tobacco rake. I

In the embodiment of the invention selected for illustration, I make use ofa hopper it, refuser ward and upward return stroke of the rake unit 28. Forward motion of the rake unit is characterized by a downmovement as'it is moved in the directionof the drum it. All the tines 36 are spaced equal distances apart.

Upon the shaft 52 is mounted a tobacco packer 1 mechanism 54. This mechanism comprises a pipe drum l2 and feeder drum It for delivering the tobacco to the cigarette making machine. A conveyor i6 underlies the hopper i0 and extends underneath the drum i t. The drums l2 and i i rotate counterclockwise, as when viewing Figure 3.

' The structure so far described is old and well known in the art.

A horizontal shaft is extends through the hop per l0 and is supported in bearings 26. mounted on the side walls 22 of the hopper. A sprocket 26 is fixed to the shaft is and connected with a driven chain 26.

Extending transversely of the hopper i0 is a rake unit 28 comprising a horizontal beam 30 extending through openings 32 in the side walls 22.

Rake tines 34 are attached to the beam 30. This beam may comprise an iron bar having the tines 34 welded thereto. Figure 3 illustrates the tines 34 as lying in a common plane declining down-. wardly and in the direction of the drum M. This view illustrates the tines 34 as terminating at short distance from the periphery of the drum I E, the tines being in their extreme forward position.

Two disks 36 are fixed to the ends of the shaft l8. A lever 38 is connected at one end with each disk 36, the other end of the lever being pivotally connected with a pin 40 to which the upper end of a lever 42 is also pivotally connected. The levers 42 are pivotally supported at their lower ends in bearings 44 attached to the side wall 22. The beam 30 is fixedly secured to the two levers 88.

To each pin 40 is pivotally connected one end of a lever 48. The opposite ends of the levers 16 are pivotally connected at 48 with arms 50 fixed to a packer shaft 52, best illustrated in Figure 3. The shaft i8 rotates clockwise when viewing Figure 3. Because of such rotation, the levers l2 os cillate and lift the bar 30 and its tines 34 on the 56 keyed to the shaft 52 and provided with a plurality of lugs 58. These lugs are spaced equal distances apart longitudinally of the pipe 58, and the length of the pipe extends substantially thefull width of the hopper. a rod 59 disposed for extension through the inner apertured ends of the inner links of a multiplicity of chains to having their opposite outer ends connected with lugs 52 formed on the upper ends of the plurality of elongated weight bars t l. These weights are equally spaced and of equal weight. All the weights also lie in a common plane, as when viewing Figure 3, with the plane of the weights arranged substantially radially of the axis .of the drum it. The chains til are alternately reversed so that half the weights s13 move upwardly as the other half move downwardly. These weights are slidably guided in three cross rods 68 extending transversely of the hopper l0 and attached to the side walls 22. One rod 66 engages underneath the weights and the remaining rods engage the opposite edges of the weights, with the plane of the weights inclined slightly to the vertical, so that their widened ends 88 arepresented fiatwise to the tobacco packed against the drum it.

Obviously the size of the hopper may be varied as well as the number of weights 8%, 'depending upon the size of the feeder.

Since the pipe 56 is keyed to the shaft 52, the pipe operates with a rocking motion for imparting reciprocatory motion to the weights 84. These weights pack the tobacco uniformly so that cigarettes made therefrom are of uniform compactness. In a hopper of the type illustrated, the rake tines 34 may advantageously correspond in number to the number of weights 6d. The tines M, by reason of the oscillatory movement of the rake, move forwardly and then rearwardly with relation to the weights 64 and the upper portion of the drum M. During their forward movement, the tines 34 move the tobacco to the weights 64 and the upper portion of the drum I l, and during their rearward movement they move the excess tobacco to the back of the hopper, whereby to enabacco, in width and upper portion of the depth, at all times on the drum. At the same time,

Through the lugs is extended 1 same for use, under various conditions of service.

I claim: 1. In a cigarette making machine having a rotary feed drum, a set of elongated weight bars supported for longitudinal reciprocating movement in a path approximately radial of the drum axis for tamping tobacco with reference to the drum, a shaft, means for oscillating the shaft, a pipe on the shaft, lugs. on the pipe, and a chain connected with each of the lugs, said lugs and chains being alternately positioned to each side of the longitudinal axis of the shaft, and the chains connected to alternate weight bars for reciprocating alternate weight bars of the set in reverse directions.

2. In a cigarette making machine having a rotary feed drum, a set of elongated weight bars supported for longitudinal reciprocating movement in a path radially of the drum and acutely 25 inclined from the vertical, and rocker mechanism including flexible means connected with alternate weight bars on opposite sides of the axis of the weight bars and operable to reciprocate alternate weight bars of the set in reverse directions.

3. In a cigarette making machine having a ro-.

tary feed drum, 9, set of elongated weight bars supported for longitudinal reciprocating movement in a path approximately radial of the drum axis for tamping tobacco with reference to the drum, and a rock shaft and flexible elements attached to and extending over opposed sides of the rock shaft for connecting the weight bars to the shaft.

4. In a cigarette making machine having a ro- Ross THOMPSON. 

